Saleh’s Plate · By Saleh Alkhalifa

Turkish Pide Two Ways

These boat-shaped Turkish flatbreads share one tender, golden dough and come with two classic open fillings: herb-flecked peynirli pide with white cheese and savory kıymalı pide with seasoned minced meat.

Ingredients

Pide dough

  • 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for shaping
  • 2¼ tsp instant yeast
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1½ tsp fine salt
  • 1½ cups warm water
  • 3 tbsp olive oil

Peynirli filling

  • 8 oz Turkish white cheese or feta, crumbled
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella or kaşar cheese
  • ¼ cup chopped parsley
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill (optional)
  • ½ tsp Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes
  • 1 large egg

Kıymalı filling

  • ¾ lb ground beef or lamb
  • 1 small onion, very finely diced
  • 1 small tomato, seeded and finely diced
  • ½ green bell pepper, finely diced
  • 2 tbsp chopped parsley
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tsp sweet paprika
  • ½ tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes
  • ¾ tsp fine salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper

Finish

  • 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tbsp water
  • 2 tbsp melted butter
  • Lemon wedges, for serving

Instructions

  1. Whisk the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt together. Add the warm water and olive oil, mix into a shaggy dough, then knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth, soft, and elastic.
  2. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and leave in a warm place for about 1 hour, until doubled.
  3. Combine the white cheese, mozzarella or kaşar, parsley, dill, Aleppo pepper, and egg. Keep chilled while preparing the remaining filling.
  4. Combine the raw ground meat with the onion, tomato, bell pepper, parsley, tomato paste, paprika, cumin, Aleppo pepper, salt, and black pepper. Mix until evenly distributed; drain away any excess liquid.
  5. Place a pizza stone or an upside-down heavy sheet pan in the oven and heat to 475°F (245°C) for at least 30 minutes. Cut parchment into pieces for shaping each pide.
  6. Divide the dough into 8 balls and rest for 15 minutes. Roll each into a long, thin oval on parchment. Spread filling down the center, leaving a 1-inch border. Fold the long edges inward over the filling and pinch the ends firmly to create the boat shape.
  7. Brush the exposed dough with egg wash. Transfer the pide, still on parchment, to the hot stone or pan and bake for 12–15 minutes, until the edges are deeply golden and the meat filling is fully cooked.
  8. Brush the hot crusts lightly with melted butter. Rest for 2 minutes, then slice crosswise and serve warm with lemon wedges.